Harbor Currents: ANNOUNCEMENTS Feb. 4, 2013

Feb. 4West County Connectors Project
The Orange County Transportation Authority is halfway through West County Connectors Project construction and has rolled out a new look.
At the midpoint of construction with two more years to go, the West County Connectors team is rolling out a new format for weekly e-mail updates.
A few of this week’s highlights:

· Nightly closures will primarily take place weeknights, Monday through Friday, in an effort to avoid nighttime closures on the weekend.

· Pile driving activity will resume at the Seal Beach Boulevard bridge Feb. 6 and will continue intermittently over the next three to four weeks.

The investigation into last week’s crane incident is still ongoing. Crane activity related to that operation is still on hold until further notice.

Nightly closures are now plotted on a Google map and includes specific closure times as well as recommended detours. Closures are updated in real time on the project website,www.octa.net/WCCclosures.

· You can also view the Google map directly by clicking the image below or visitingwww.octa.net/WCCdetourmap. This new interactive map is easily accessible on your smart phone and allows you to see other local detour routes that may be convenient for your commute.

Feb. 6 Villaraigosa Unveils LA Tech Product through Google Hangout
LOS ANGELES – Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Councilman Joe Buscaino will host a Google+ Hangout and press conference to unveil a new tech product for Angelenos and the first re-design of the city website in 15 years, at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 6, in Venice.
Angelenos can watch live at https://plus.google.com/events/cood81s6cbjffnh5rpfhu4gmnak

Feb. 6Housing Long Beach
Want to get involved? Help reach out to the community for this important event and join us for a 2-hour phone-banking slot, from 4 to 8 p.m. Feb 6 or 11 at the Housing Long Beach offices.Details: (562) 331-1788Venue: Housing Long BeachLocation: 507 Pacific Ave., Long Beach

Feb. 9A Community Tree Planting
Join the Long Beach’s District 2, at 9 a.m. Feb. 9, to plant 26 trees along our business and residential corridors.
With this planting, we are well on our way to our goal of planting more than 300 trees in the Second District.
Community members can meet organizers at the parking lot on the northwest corner of Broadway and Elm Avenue
Shovels, snacks and drinks will be provided. Please bring a bucket if you have one.Details:(562) 570-6684

Feb. 23Ink the Cure
In its efforts to raise money for the May 18 and 19, Relay for Life San Pedro,Team P.A.M. (Promises And Memories) will be hosting Ink 4 the Cure, from 12 to 8 p.m. Feb. 23, at San Pedro Tattoo.
Each tattoo at the fundraiser will be $50.00. All proceeds will be donated to the Relay for Life San Pedro.
The Relay for Life is, an event through the American Cancer Society, an organized overnight community fundraiser held in cities all across Northern America. In every Relay for Life there is a Survivor Lap, Luminaria Ceremony and the Fight Back Ceremony. During the Survivors Lap, all cancer survivors at the event take the first lap around the track, celebrating their victory over cancer while cheered on by the other participants who line the track. The Luminaria Ceremony takes place after dark, so we can remember people we have lost to cancer, honor people who have fought cancer in the past, and support those whose fight continues. Candles are lit inside of personalized bags and are placed around the Relay track as glowing tributes to those who’ve been affected by cancer. The Fight Back Ceremony symbolizes the emotional commitment each of us can make in the fight against cancer. The action taken represents what we are willing to do for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our community to fight cancer year-round and to commit to saving lives. In 2012 the Relay For Life San Pedro raised $175,000 for the American Cancer Society and honored 198 cancer survivors with 50 teams and 41 sponsors.
Please take part in the Relay for Life San Pedro at 10 a.m. May 18 and 19, at San Pedro High School (Football field), 1001 West 15th St.Details: (310) 732-7935Venue: San Pedro TattooLocation: 742 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

Feb. 28Journalism Awards Available to High School Students
Earth Day Network has joined forces with author and food activist Michael Pollan, the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard Project to launch the first annual Healthy and Sustainable School Food Journalism Award.
The award is open to high school students ages 13 to 18, the competition seeks to bring the hard facts about school food to entire school communities – in the students’ own words.
Articles submitted for consideration must be about the need for healthy, sustainable school food and must have been published in a school newspaper.
First prize is $1,500. Second prize is $1,000. Third prize is $500. Fourth prize is$300.Plus, there is $200 for a journalism class and the opportunity to have the winner’s work publicized on our websites and through extensive networks.
To enter, visit www.earthday.org/journalismaward. The contest is open until Feb. 28, 2013 and the winders will be announced on Earth Day – April 22, 2013.

Sign Up for Legislative Alerts
Long Beach announced that residents can now create “keyword” legislative alerts to stay informed of city council agenda actions and legislative polices on a routine basis.
When a keyword legislative alert is created, the city’s legislative system will send an e-mail notification that the weekly city council agenda contains a relevant staff recommendation. Legislative alert keywords can be set by subject (examples: water, public safety, health, planning, permit, or business) or by Council District office. To create a legislative alert account, review this 3 minute video: Legislative Alert Tutorial Video. Instructions on creating a legislative alert are at this link: Legislative Alert Citizen Guide.
Agendas for city council and other boards and commissions can be found at:Legistar InSite Page. City council agendas are posted to the Web eight days (Monday afternoons) in advance of each council meeting, with a final publication each preceding Friday afternoonDetails: (562) 570-6489

Villaraigosa Announces Volunteer Opportunities in Crisis Response TeamLOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced volunteer opportunities for people living or working in Los Angeles to become a member of the city’s Crisis Response Team.
The program is particularly in need of volunteers with bilingual capability in Spanish or Korean.
The Crisis Response Team is composed of community volunteers that respond to traumatic incidents at the request of the Los Angeles Police and Los Angeles Fire Departments. The teams of volunteers provide immediate on-scene crisis intervention, attend to survival and comfort needs, acts as a liaison between the victim and emergency personnel, and provide referrals to victims and their families affected by a death, a serious injury, a violent crime or other traumatic incidents. These, include homicides, suicides, serious traffic accidents, natural deaths, and multi-casualty incidents.
The Crisis Response Team program is managed by the Mayors Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety and is operated in collaboration with the city’s fire and police departments.
Volunteers must be at least 21 years old and in good physical condition. The volunteers participate in 48 hours of intensive training designed to help them develop the skills, knowledge and relationships necessary to function effectively in the field. The 8-week training sessions begin on March 4 and runs until April 17, 2013 on Monday and Wednesday evenings at Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.Details: (213) 978-0697;LACRT@lacity.org